EMPIRE LEAGUE | PREP FOOTBALL '96

Facts And Figures

Assembled in 1974 from former members of the Sunset, Orange, Freeway leagues, as well as the defunct Irvine League, the Empire League might not have started out with any fixed identity.

That all changed in 1981, when Esperanza moved over from the Orange League and began a rivalry with Los Alamitos that would last more than a decade and be carried over to another league.

Over the next 13 seasons, either the Aztecs or the Griffins won or shared the Empire League title 10 times. From 1990 to 1993, they won or shared four consecutive Southern Section titles.

The league's pinnacle might have come in 1992, when Los Alamitos and quarterback Tim Carey came up against Esperanza, led by defensive lineman Travis Kirschke, in the Division II championship game and tied, 14-14.

When Los Alamitos and Esperanza moved to join larger schools in the Sunset League in 1994, competition again returned to the Empire League.